The other day we finally got the fan installed in the van (say that three times fast) and in honesty, It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be to install. We first had to figure out placement which turned out to be farther back than we originally thought. Once that was figured out we got the power situation under control and now have an idea of how we are going to wire it to a battery. From there we then took out a sharpie, drew out where we were cutting, and set to work. The thing that really made this job a little stressful is that it has to be exact on placement because of the inside of the headliner. There are two ducts that go towards the front and they were exactly 14 inches apart from each other. That means that we have to perfectly cut it in the roof and then cut it in the headliner so that it matches. Talk about a doozy of a job. 

After setting up the initial cut we got the saw out and started chipping away. The only thing about this kind of job is that we had to go from the inside due to the fact that the roof wasn't really a good place to crawl on top of and since it had to be exact we had to go inside to make sure that we didn't end up being off by any amount. With fiberglass flying, we slowly got the roof cut. It took some trial and error but we eventually got it to where the fan fit perfectly inside. Once the cut was made we set to make sure to clean up top with rubbing alcohol. This way we can ensure there isn't any debris or water. If anything is left under there it could lead to leaks in the future and that is never a good idea. 

With it cleaned up we then moved forward to setting it with water sealant on the edge, placing the fan, and screwing it in. Once the fan is screwed on top of the sealant you put another layer on top (even the screws) to make sure that no future leaks can occur. Of course, I didn't know that water could come in through screws but the more you know right? Finally, with that being set in stone we cleaned the inside and called it a day. The next project is getting the headliner cut out exactly with where the fan is which I'm sure will be a bitch of a job but that's part of any conversion. you have to make sure things are done right or it could lead to future problems. Of course, if there are any problems then I know how to fix them and luckily this van seems to come apart without too many difficulties. In truth, it might be one of the easiest vehicles to make changes to give seen. 

Once the headliner is cut we will also be making storage changes. Turns out I can double the amount of storage in the van and that would be helpful for future trips. Honestly, I'm excited to see what I can do and to expand on the inside. Stay tuned for more updates. Gimli is coming togehter.